Holiday rush..

By Stephanie
   We get an extra week this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It just means one more week to try to cram everything in!! 
   Avery did get chemo yesterday, did her fashion show and then went and got red blood.  We got home about 1:30am.  Yep, I am TIRED today.  And we have a 10am conference call (media training), 12:10pm dr. apt and 3:30pm piano lessons.  WHEW!
   For anyone who wants to see her interview they did for the show....
here it is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwDo-6R_Qxw


   But my darling friend Kathy found a similar coat to the one Avery has been dying over.  And it’s one sale.  And Kathy’s son works at Kohls (where she found it).  And he gets a discount. SCORE!! 

  And SCORE again…Avery got to keep one of her outfits from last night.  She picked the one that she was on Fox news with.  It was the warmest. 
   So I am feeling super blessed.  As usual.  We have had a great amount of blessings along with the overwhelming medical stuff. 
  OH, and we are going to Forgotten Carols.  It’s here in Vegas next Monday night.  And I noticed Payton had NOTHING to wear.  So I whipped up this outfit (see I am not just ignoring you out in bloglandia, I am usually sewing or cleaning if I am not at doctors visits).
      Pretty cute if I do say so myself…..
 
 

Mingle and Jingle

By Stephanie
Update on Avery.  SHE GOT HER NG TUBE OUT!!!  YAY.  Just in time for Driscoll family photos!  She isn’t eating as much as she should.  So we will see if it stays out.  
   She has a Make-A-Wish event on Wednesday night.  She gets to model some super cute clothes from Dillard's.
Here is her interview with the cute outfit (Jessica Simpson, btw.  Love her stuff!!)
Sorry you have to watch a commercial first....
http://www.fox5vegas.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7999491
Avery found this super cute coat while trying on her other stuff.  She is DYING over it.  She kept going back to the rack and looking at it…..and feeling it.  Honestly I don’t know where she gets her obsessiveness…….I seriously have a mini me……..that is kind of scary.   This might be a problem……
Super CUTE huh???   She tried it on in cream.  Love, but not practical.  She wasn’t a fan of the pink…total surprise.  It did come in black too, but it was too dark on her.  The red was the one that she would get.  DARLING!!

    It’s not too much, $50.  And it’s machine washable, plus.  But right now that isn’t in the budget, with the upcoming holiday and all.  So if anyone has any great Dillard’s hookups…let me know.  

Pumpkin Season.

By Stephanie

   I LOVE the food this time of year.  The smells, the spices, the food.   I made Holly’s pumpkin cookies with maple frosting...yum!!

  Then since I had some left in the can, I made pumpkin bread.  And tonight I am going to make with my pumpkin bread…..pumpkin bread pudding!!

   And if that isn’t enough you can try the new pumpkin spice kisses!! My friend April brought us some.  Holy delic!!  (something else to help you carb load this season)

And we are celebrating!!  Avery is at school today.  She MIGHT go a whole day today.  I can count on one hand the number of days she has been to school this year for an entire day, including today.  So it’s kind of a big deal.  But she is looking better. 

  I was going through Avery’s closet and noticed she had almost no cute things to wear.  So I whipped up this little outfit.  Turned out cute…but I think she needs a hat.   Have to work on that.  Oh and with the bow, it’s adjustable.  So as she gains weight (thank goodness), we can let it out.  Or if little sister borrows it, we can synch it back in.  Kind of genius, I know.   I am working on a pattern.  It will probably be out sometime in late 2050….JK.

Btw, that pattern is called hounds tooth.  Don’t you just love it???  I do.  If you haven’t already noticed.

   Happy Carbgiving….I mean Thanksgiving!

A little RNR

By Stephanie

   So we took Avery to Arizona to visit family.  Guess what???  She ATE!  She ate a lot! (for her).  Chris tried this burger at Carl’s Jr.  She ate almost the whole thing…twice.  

    Then we came home…to the same thing as before.  Oh well.  At least while we were gone she did fantastic!  I will take improvement, even if it’s only for a few days. 

   And we made the cake.  HOLY CALORIES!!  It was good.  I would change a few things.  I will make it again with the changes and then post. 

    Now that I am home, and the laundry is mostly done, I am in a TOTAL PANIC!  Thanksgiving is in eights days!  And Christmas?  I don’t even want to do that number.   I have bought a few things.  But if you know me usually I am done by Halloween.  And I can’t get Hallie to commit to any one thing.  This might be scary. 

    A few things that might make your holiday season easier.  CROCKPOT LINERS.  For a few bucks you can save tons of time scrubbing out that messy ol’ crockpot.

I totally suggest the three pack.  You will use that crockpot every day once you have these.  Throw in my Italian Beef Sandwiches or my yummy Scalloped potatoes.  You will thank me later.  

Unexpected Surprises

By Stephanie

    Avery (actually all of us) has been struggling.  We decided to take a few day trip and go see my sister-in-law in Arizona.  Not that we need more sunshine.  We got plenty of that.  We just all need a mental break.  While we are there we are going to celebrate Hallie Dawn’s birthday.  She wants this cake.

Really?  I mean she is six.  Or going to be six tomorrow.  And we are already doing a five layer super fattening something….okay.  I even tried to change her mind with a chocolate Oreo one.  Nope. It has to be this one.    White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake.

  Let me tell you a bit about Hallie.

  

Hallie was a total surprise to our family from the beginning.   We were living in Idaho at the time. Then on top of that Chris went to a Seattle Seahawks game three weeks before I was due.  Of course I went into labor…that night.  My friend Dawn took me to the hospital.  Now you need to understand my longest labor up till that point was four hours.  There was no way Chris would make a flight home by then.  But my little Hallie had other plans.  She waited and waited and waited for dad to get there.  I wasn’t progressing, but after having Avery at home on the floor (I know, a whole other story) I wasn’t going home either.  So Dawn and I walked the halls for hours!  Chris arrived and so did the epidural.  Then Hallie started to go into distress.  My body wasn’t quite ready, but the doctor decided she needed out.  So after a lot of pushing out came my too early partially blue baby.  They took her to the nursery and started her on oxygen.    It was 24 hours before she settled down and started breathing right.  Girl drama from the start.

   But since then she is our comic relief.  She doesn’t mind that I am gone all the time taking Avery to the doctor.  That just means she gets to go to friends houses and play.  Just fine by her. 

   The other day I was talking to Avery about Christmas.  I was encouraging her to pick something that would help her feel better. 

     Hallie pipes up, “I know what would make me feel better.”

      “Yeah, what would that be Hallie?”

      “A puppy.  A puppy would really make me feel better.” 

     “You are not getting a puppy.” 

     “Oh….ok.”  It was worth a shot.

Then yesterday Chris had the day off and we went together to drop her off at school.

   “I know what you are going to do when we are all at school.”

   Chris, “Yeah?  What do you think we are going to do?”

   Hallie, “You and mom are going to make out.”

   Chris (laughing), “I wish!”

  She sure is fun.  We don’t know what we would do without our fun Hallie Dawn. 

Make-A-Wish 5K Run Las Vegas

by Stephanie

    Avery’s make-a-wish trip was so amazing!  There is no way that we could ever duplicate it on our own. And yes, I still have more pics, but I honestly don’t know how to get them off the CD. It’s formatted for movies and my computer doesn’t play movies.  Anyhow, our Make-A-Wish chapter here is having a 5k (or mile if you prefer) run to raise money to grant more sick kids wishes. 

   Mark you calandars for FEB. 2!!  It’s here in Las Vegas at Town Center.  Come join us on “TEAM AVERY” and help us reach our goal!!  It’s only $20 for adults and $15 for kids.  You can sign up HERE.  It takes lots of money for each wish.  We have personally seen how important it is for these kidos! 

  And we are looking for a business to donate our shirts.  She wants pink shirts that say “TEAM AVERY” and of course could have your company info. also.  We need about 50.  So if you know of anyone,  PLEASE let us know!!